Killamangiro

Info

Killamangiro (or Kill a man for his giro) is a Babyshambles track that features as track #7 on their debut album, Down in Albion, with the writing credit going to Doherty. This track was also released as a single in November 2004. Although officially released by Babyshambles, Killamangiro was first heard in May 2003 when it was recorded by The Libertines for their Babyshambles sessions, in America. When Peter Doherty's "My Music" folder was leaked onto the Internet, some early versions of Killamangiro were heard for the first time.
The song itself features an unusual opening beat from ex-Babyshambles drummer Gemma Clarke and is also recognised for guitarist Patrick Walden's "messy" style of play and frontman Peter Doherty's distinctive vocals. It is a regular feature of live setlists by Babyshambles and has gone on to be one of their most popular and well known songs, often requested by fans.

The song's title is a pun on the name of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, but further mixes in the song's lyrics about "kill[ing] a man for his giro" - the "giro" being a bank deposit method often associated with British unemployment benefits.

The track was released as a single, and subsequently included on Down in Albion with different production from the original. The circumstances of the recording of the song for the album were remarked upon by Babyshambles bass player Drew McConnell on 5 November 2005 in the NME:

"We weren't planning on having 'Killamangiro' on there. We got in the room and thought, "Let's run through 'Killamangiro'," but sneaky Mick pressed record. Pete was jumping over the desk and giving the engineer a heart attack. Pete's got a thing about not releasing tracks more than once. People have written that we can't play our instruments and that's really not true because this is completely live."

The music video for "Killamangiro" features orange tinted live footage of the band on stage, with snippets of Doherty walking down a street, out of a shop, mock hanging himself with his mic cord, flicking through a magazine, and driving along in a car (complete with a Christmas tree air freshener.

The B Side on both the CD version and the 7" is The Man Who Came to Stay, also a fan favourite, but played less frequently at gigs than its A Side.

In an interview in 2008, Carl Barat cited Killamangiro as his favourite Peter Doherty song, rather than choosing a Libertines number that they wrote together[4].

Lyrics

Ohhh ohhh ohhhh
Why would you pay to see me in a cage?
And why would you pay to see me in a cage?
Some men call the stage

Listen now I have gone
You will know
I was the only one that would have died
What was wrong in the eyes of the unwell and unwise

And I killed a man for his giro today
Wasn't very gay, I didn't mind
I wasn't a money man anyway
Killed a man for his giro today

Why, would you pay
Why, would you pay
To see me in a cage
It's all across the stage

And know
When the night has come
You might say
I was not the only the one who would've died
What was wrong in the eyes of the cruel and unwise
And I killed a man for his giro today

On the off chance that your listening
To the radio
I thought you might like to know you broke my heart
Can only sadden up or hedge your bets
Or take a chance and never get you again
All my ties, time and time
I keep on trying hard not to try too hard
When I forgive, I won't forget
To killing time, so I'm better now
I don't need it...
Anything that makes you, feel hate
Can do without hate
Now I believe in love

Now I have gone
Oh yeah, I will pay
For everything you've done
What was wrong
In the eyes of the unwell and unwise
And I killed a man for his giro today